BACKGROUND: Necrosis of femoral head induced by hormone is the iatrogenic disorder. It is doubt whether such problem is improved or not by increasing blood-flow volume in the local necrosis tissues.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of electric acupuncture on blood-flow volume in local tissues of femoral head so as to understand the mechanism of acupuncture on hormonal necrosis of femoral head.DESIGN: Randomized controlled study in which the experimental animals were taken as the objects.SETTING: Department of integrated traditional chinese and western medicine in a college of traditional chinese medicine.MATERIALS: The experiment was performed from May 2002 to June 2003in Animal Experimental Room of Clinical Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine affiliated to Anhui College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Thirty female and male(half-half) New Zealand white rabbits were employed, in clean grade, which were randomized into blank control, model group and treatment of electric acupuncture group.METHODS: The model of hormonal necrosis of femoral head in rabbits was prepared. In the treatment group, PCE-88A type controlled electric acupuncture apparatus developed by Institute of Acupuncture and Meridians and Collaterials in Anhui College of Traditional Chinese Medicine was applied on Huantiao(GB 30) and Biguan(ST 31) . No any treatment was applied in the model and blank groups.MAIN OUTCOME MEAURES: The curve of blood-flow volume in local necrosis tissues at the moment of acupuncture and 2 weeks after treatment.RESULTS: The blood-flow volume in local necrosis tissues at the moment of acupuncture in the treatment group(0.50 ±0.08) mL/g per minute was reduced significantly compared with that of blank control group[(8.63± 0. 83) mL/g per minute] and the model group[ (4.30 ±0. 89) mL/g per minute], indicating significant difference ( P ＜ 0.01). The blood-flow volume in local necrosis tissues 2 weeks after treatment[ (6. 19 ± 0.61) mL/g per minute] was remarkably increased compared with the blank control [ (8.33 ± 0.65) mL/g per minute] and the model group[ (4.44 ± 0. 72) mL/g per minute], indicating significant difference( P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: Electric acupuncture can improve local blood supply in hormonal necrosis of femoral head immediately, which is probably related to the regulation in the net of nerve-endocrine-immunity.